Healthy Weight

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight

If you are underweight, overweight, or obese, you may have a higher risk of certain health problems. Maintaining a healthy weight can help you control your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. It might also help you prevent weight-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and some cancers.

Eating too much or not being physically active enough can make you overweight. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat. Being a healthy weight is about balancing what you regularly eat in your diet with how physically active you are on a daily basis.

If you are not sure if you are a healthy weight or not, why not try using the NHS Choices - BMI calculator to help guide you?

Weight-control techniques for someone who is overweight might include some of the following:

Choosing low-fat, low-calorie foods
Eating smaller portions
Drinking water instead of sugary drinks
Being more physically active

If you are underweight you may want to consider eating extra calories within a well-balanced diet can help to add weight.

The Isle of Man currently offers a Weight Watchers Referral Programme; speak to your Doctor or Practice Nurse for more details and to see if you fit the referral criteria.

Diet

Toddlers and School Children

All ages groups

Physical Activity

Regular exercise or being physically active can have positive effects on many aspects of health and well-being. Exercise can come in many different forms, from traditional team sports to gardening, walking the dog, or active play if you are a child.

Not only can it help maintain and improve general fitness levels, it can also prevent ill-health. It also helps to tackle health problems, such as: